First Class Through the Apocalypse

Chapter 003

"A computer? Are they expecting us to play games to pass the time?"

"How is that even possible? We are in a survival situation right now, so why would they give us a computer just to play games? If you ask me, it is probably meant for watching movies!"

Caleb Mercer felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. He could not believe he was stuck with an internet-addicted girl and a movie maniac.

Sylvia Hale stepped forward to inspect the screen, and the other girls immediately crowded around her to get a look. Because the space was so tight, the women were forced to press closely against one another. This created a miserable situation for Caleb, who was standing at the very back and had to squeeze forward just to catch a glimpse. His movements immediately sparked complaints from the girls in front of him.

"Hey, who is pushing? Stop squeezing, I can barely breathe!"

"Wait, why did someone bring a weapon in here?"

"What on earth is poking me?"

Hearing those remarks, Caleb awkwardly shifted his position to face a different direction. The sights around him were simply too beautiful, making it completely impossible for him to suppress his natural physical reactions. He honestly had no other choice in the matter.

At the front of the group, Sylvia ignored the commotion behind her and let out a confused murmur as she stared at the screen. "Hmm? Why won't it turn on?"

Just as she expressed her confusion, the robotic electrical voice crackled through the carriage once again.

[Please have the strongest person on the train activate the computer, as only he can protect it from damage.]

"What? The strongest person?"

The girls gathered around the screen froze in surprise before turning their heads in unison to look at Caleb standing behind them. Whether driven by natural instinct or sheer curiosity, their gazes subconsciously drifted downward toward his lower half once again. The air in the carriage instantly solidified.

"Ah! You pervert!"

"This... this shameless pervert! He actually..."

The girl who had previously wondered who brought a weapon was now blushing furiously with a mixture of shame and anger, finally realizing exactly what that "weapon" was.

"I am sorry," Caleb apologized awkwardly, knowing he was entirely at fault. "I really did not do it on purpose."

The girls remained silent, though their faces flushed an even deeper shade of crimson. Of course, there were quite a few thick-skinned girls among them who did not feel shy at all and instead embraced the absolute honesty of the situation. Their philosophy was simple: since he was looking at them, they were going to look right back to avoid taking a loss.

Sylvia coughed awkwardly to break the tension. She blushed heavily and offered a helpless sigh. "Caleb, you should really figure out a way to tuck that away, as it is creating a terrible influence."

"Well," Caleb replied with a miserable expression. "Ms. Hale, it is not a matter of wanting to put it away or not, because I completely lack the ability to control it right now."

"Forget it," she conceded with a shake of her head. "Just come over here and take a look at the computer. It said it needs the strongest person to activate it, and since you are the only man here, it is obviously referring to you."

"Alright," Caleb agreed without hesitation, nodding as he puffed out his chest and confidently strode forward. As he passed through, the girls standing on either side instinctively glanced downward and immediately covered their mouths in shock. Good heavens, they thought, who could possibly handle something like that?

Caleb approached the computer, examined it briefly, and pressed his thumb directly against the screen.

A sharp beep echoed through the carriage as the screen successfully flickered to life.

[Congratulations on successfully activating the computer. Now distributing abilities...]

In the very next second, twenty-three pillars of light descended from above and merged directly into the foreheads of the twenty-three girls present. Caleb was completely stunned by the sight. A holographic screen that only he could see materialized directly in front of him.

[Conductor: Caleb Mercer] [Train Level: 0] [Train Members: Sylvia Hale, Jenna Cole, Sophie Hale...] [Attention: The conductor has the absolute authority to expel train members. Please upgrade your train to properly deal with the upcoming challenges!]

"Hahaha, I awakened an ability! I cannot believe we actually get magic powers!" The petite girl with the surprisingly curvy figure danced around happily.

Stella Lane smiled brightly and announced, "I awakened a healing ability, which means I can treat my teammates."

"What? You are actually a healer? No wonder you are so big and smell so good."

"I... I awakened an ability that can make any food taste delicious."

"Yes! We will leave all the cooking to you from now on!"

"Hahaha, I actually awakened a tailoring ability, which means I can make clothes for us!"

As the girls chattered excitedly among themselves, Sophie Hale, the Dance Club President who stood five-foot-seven with legs that seemed to go on for miles, let out a joyful laugh. In an instant, everyone's eyes snapped directly toward her. The thing they wanted most right now was obvious: clothes! They were all completely naked, which might have been manageable under normal circumstances, but they were currently standing next to an equally naked man.

"Sophie, you are officially my favorite sister from now on! Please make me a set of clothes first. I awakened a vegetable-growing ability, and I promise to grow fresh fruit for you later!"

"Yeah, give me some clothes too! I awakened an architectural ability, and I can design a private room for you later!"

"Sophie, since you have the power, you should really make some clothes for everyone," Sylvia added gently. Truthfully, she did not want to remain naked any longer, as the situation was simply too embarrassing.

"Sister," Sophie looked at Sylvia with a helpless expression. "Making clothes requires raw materials, and I currently have absolutely nothing to work with, so I cannot make anything yet."

It was not a secret to anyone in the class that Sophie and Sylvia were biological sisters. Hearing this harsh reality, the girls instantly let out disappointed sighs.

Sylvia turned her attention back to Caleb with a curious look in her eyes. "Did you not mention earlier that you already awakened an ability? Did you just awaken a second one?"

"Not exactly," Caleb replied with a confident smile. "I am now the conductor of this train, which means I possess absolute authority over it."

The reason he chose to share this specific information with them was that train members were physically incapable of harming the conductor, so he had no fear of them knowing his status.

"What?!"

His revelation caused all the girls in the room to gasp in genuine shock. However, none of them displayed any signs of opposition or rebellion. In fact, Sylvia immediately stepped up to speak on his behalf.

"Since Caleb is the only man on this train, we will undoubtedly have to rely on him when we go out to scavenge for food and supplies." She looked around at the students, her tone serious. "Therefore, I have absolutely no objections to him being the conductor. I also hope all of you think very clearly about this, because we are currently in a life-or-death survival situation."

She offered this warning specifically to remind them of reality, terrified that some of these girls might act like entitled social media users and ruin things for everyone. If they actually angered Caleb and provoked him into kicking them off the train, it would lead to a disastrous outcome that none of them wanted to see.

Fortunately, the girls here were all reasonable and understood the bigger picture. Everyone nodded in unanimous agreement.

"We understand, Teacher. I have no objections either."

"Yeah, we are all fine with it."

"Exactly, you can rest easy, Teacher!"

Listening to the girls' supportive voices, Caleb finally let out a deep sigh of relief. Honestly, every single girl in this carriage was remarkably beautiful. Furthermore, the abilities they awakened were all directly tied to developing the train and expanding their tribe, which heavily implied that all these girls might all end up on his side in the future. It would have been a genuine pity if someone lacked common sense and forced him to kick them out. Looking at the current situation, it seemed he would not have to worry about that happening anytime soon.